Hiding the Facts
by AirCaptainBiggles
Summary: Hiccup has a problem. Shooting down the Night Fury was his only hope of redemption. Falling in love with a dragon was not part of the plan. Transformation - Dragon!Hiccup - Toothcup - Possible Hiccstrid
1. Preface

**Preface**

Firstly, I'm just going to say the default disclaimer. I don't own HTTYD, etc.

Secondly, this is a mature piece of fiction with some content of a sexual nature, and I will probably write some lemons in later chapters.

Thirdly, this is a transformation fic, and dragon x dragon and dragon x human is going to appear in this fic.

If you don't like any of the above turn back now!

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My reasons for writing this are few but complex. I have issues that writing sometimes seems to help with.

If you want to leave a review calling me a sicko or whatever go ahead, I won't pay any attention to it. I'm not writing it for you, I'm writing it for me.

If you want to praise my ability to write and tell a story, then please do. I think my writing is crap.

Also, if you do want to leave an honest critical review of my story and/or writing, then go right ahead, I would love to read your advice!

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Regarding Updates and Completing the Story.

Updates may or may not happen. I want you to understand right now that I do not guarantee the completion of this fic.

Nor do I promise to provide regular updates or new chapters.

If I do update this fic, entire chapters might disappear or be rewritten.

If this fic does one day hold the glorious "Complete" tag that means that it is actually complete and will probably not be updated.

If you think you can write a better summary please leave it in a review!


	2. Chapter 1

"Human Speech"

"_Dragon Speech_"

'_A direct quote from the current character's thoughts_'

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I've just shot down the mighty Night Fury, the holy grail of dragons! They're going to sing songs about me for generations! The victory dance I just did wasn't exactly song material... Maybe nobody noticed? What if nobody noticed!? I had to check.

"Did anybody see that?" I barely heard my own words. The shock of the moment had almost paralysed my tongue. The sound of breaking wood forced me to turn around.

'_Not my machine! Not now!_' Terror raced through my mind as I watched the evidence of my genius disappear under the claws of a Monstrous Nightmare. A female. Again with the females, could they not take a hint! I'm not a dragon! Well, mostly...

"Not again," I muttered as the dragon lowered its head. I ran.

An angry roar filled the air, the shockwave making me stumble. Most Vikings don't know this. Hell, any Vikings period don't know this. Female dragons don't handle rejection! The air behind me rapidly heated, and I stepped to the left as a stream of fire incinerated the ground beside me. Somebody screamed. Was it me?

"Hiccup!" Somebody in the village had noticed my situation. Guess that scream was me. Nothing unmanly about screaming, right?

I always ended up regretting the times I left the forge. And this time was probably one of the worse. To get a clear shot, I'd gone onto the cliffs just outside the village. And now I had to run all the way back.

Reaching the first line of buildings, I made a sharp right turn. The dragon tried to follow and skidded into a house. Wood gave way, and the house collapsed inward as the dragon spewed fire. I cowered behind the nearest cover. One of the torch towers. The dragon had caught up, was this the end of Hiccup? Flames licked at the wooden pole. I was being chased by a scorned female, and it was way too quiet. I could hear dragons squawking in the distance, retreating.

'_Maybe it left?_' Optimistic as always, I dared to peek around the flames. Nothing. I almost let out a sigh of relief. A low growl had started behind me. I turned to see a draconic jaw filled with jagged teeth, posed to strike. A Viking barrelled forward as the dragon attacked throwing it back a good few feet. The tribal chief himself stood between us, hammer in hand and a scowl locked on his face.

The dragon righted itself and released its flame upon us. Well attempted to. A pitiful splatter of fire fell to the ground.

"You're all out." Said the chief, the words heavy with hatred. He stepped forward and swung his hammer, and I cringed as scales cracked and fell. The dragon turned with the contact and took to the sky, following the retreating dragons.

I was going to enjoy my lack of destruction. Maybe this was one of the easier dragon raids. Nothing disagreed with me more than the torch pole. Wood split, metal screeched, and the smile slid from my face like a giant burning fire pit sliding down a hill. Yeah, just like the one currently demolishing the village.

The chief watched the damage, and I watched his scowl deepen as I cringed at each shout of shock or annoyance that came from below. And I guess I should probably point out this one crucial fact...

"Sorry, Dad," I said, adding to the awkwardness of the situation.

He let out a sigh, and I braced myself for the berating I was about to receive. Wasn't there something important I wanted to tell him? The Night Fury! I'd shot it down! I glanced up to speak, but my jaw locked shut. My father wasn't going to listen. I had caused more damage in this raid than ever before. His face made that quite clear. I let him drag me away from the crowd.

"Why can't you listen, son?" He questioned, disappointment etched in his face. "You step outside, and disaster happens. I have enough problems, and I don't need you adding to them. Winter is almost here, and I have an entire village to feed!"

I had recently realised that this problem of mine that my father did not know of was getting worse. More females proposed every year. From now on I was going to have to stay in the forge. No more running around trying to kill dragons. No more machines. No more me. I let out a sigh and looked at my dad, Stoick the Vast, perfect Viking, Chief of Berk.

"I know... I won't do it again." I said shakily. There were gasps from the crowd. Were they really expecting me to continue? I expected my father to say something, but he just looked like something had broken inside that hard-headed heart of his. My own father, speechless? You'd think I'd grown a second head or something.

"Okay, then." My father said, breaking from his reverie. "Gobber will take you home."

I nodded slightly as Gobber appeared behind me and used his hand to guide me up the path. We passed the other teenagers in silence, not even a single hateful comment was uttered. I glanced to check that they were alive. As we left the crowds behind, I internally debated my situation. Gobber might not offer the best advice, but at least he knew about my problem.

"What am I supposed to do?" I questioned as I stepped up to the door. "If I try to help the dragons will kill me. If I stay in the forge, I'll die of boredom! And then my father thinks I'm going to somehow end the war!"

"And you will!" He cheerily stated. He paused. "Ya know, most peace treaties are sealed with a marriage."

"Eww! No, just no." I covered my ears. I could feel the image burning into my mind. Me with some ugly, bulbous Gronckle. Shivers ran down my back. "My dad would kill me if he found out the reality behind the prophecy."

"Look, don't worry about what you're not. Focus on what you are." Gobber said. I knew he meant well, but…

"I don't know what I am," I said quietly as I let myself in, leaving a confused Gobber outside. I saw him shrug and turn to go as the door closed behind me. '_At least he tried._'

I took a small loaf of bread and a dried fish from the cellar and retreated to my room. Being the only room not on the ground, it's a small space. On one side there is a bed with a chest at the bottom for my clothes. And on the other side, a small desk under a window which I would open for daylight during the warmer months.

I spent the next few hours sat on the bed, picking at my meal and contemplating my fate. I wasn't going to build any more machines. Time had shown that it's too dangerous for me to step outside in the dragon raids. My dad had apprenticed me to Gobber when I was little, and I'd done it to prove I was a Viking. Since a few years ago I'd done it to try to impress Astrid. Unfortunately, the only females that had noticed me were dragons. Now I'm fifteen and wondering if things could be worse.

Maybe I was lucky that I first noticed my problem when I did. It had been a year after I started my apprenticeship. My cousin, Snotlout, had already started bullying me, and my father had just decided it was time I started looking after myself. This meant I was supposed to use the public bathhouse…

I'm glad I'd been embarrassed. It had made me peek around the doorway. It hadn't taken me long to realise I was different down there. Maybe I should have thanked Snotlout? If he hadn't bullied me, I wouldn't have known different was bad.

When I turned seven, my dad decided I was old enough for the talk. Yeah, that talk. I shuddered at the memory. He hadn't spared the details, nor the advice. I was seven for Odin's sake!

It wasn't until I was thirteen that the true magnitude of my problem revealed itself. I'd been alone in the forge. Gobber had run off into the night to help defend the village and the area around the forge had been empty. I'd gone to the counter to grab more weapons, and two dragons had landed just outside. I could see that it was the birds and the bees. I'd started to turn away, not wanting to watch, but then I saw his dragonhood. At first, I'd been revolted. Then I'd realised it looked familiar. A horrified gasp later and they had disappeared into the twilight. After the raid, Gobber had found me hiding in the cupboard, and I'd told him everything.

Looking back, I wonder if I should have told my father then? It would have been easier. Maybe he would have understood. Now he would probably kill me. But I'd left it unsaid and sooner or later somebody was going to find out. For better or worse, I was resolved. I had to tell him. And if he was fated to kill me, so be it. And with that, I set off into the village to find my father.

I'd never paid much attention to the events that occurred immediately after a raid. But I was unable to find my father and soon found myself following the villagers to the Great Hall. My dad was probably planning another quest for the dragon nest. I decided to stand by the door and wait for him to finish. I listen to his booming voice as he made his arguments for finding the nest.

"The beasts have taken most of our supplies! Either we finish them, or they'll finish us!" He said. "It's the only way we'll be rid of them. If we find the nest and destroy it… the dragons will leave. They'll find another home!"

I heard a blade pierce wood. It wouldn't surprise me if he'd just stabbed the dragon's nest for extra emphasis. I'd never understood how he managed to get people to agree to go.

"One more search, before the ice sets in!" Was he really going to risk our ships now? We need to replenish our stores for winter, and he wants to go dragon hunting? I couldn't understand how a speech like this would get so many volunteers.

A random Viking voiced my concerns. "Those ships never come back."

But of course, as always, my father has all the answers. "We're Vikings, it's an occupational hazard. Now, who's with me?"

A slew of negative responses came from the gathering, and I thought maybe the village had gained a few brain cells since last time. The sledgehammer of reality felt like a death blow.

"Alright, those who stay will look after Hiccup." My own father had used me to send Vikings to their deaths. I felt suffocated in the change of atmosphere. Everyone was suddenly so excited to do whatever their chief wanted.

I stood petrified in the shadow of the door as the crowd dispersed. As the final few villagers made their way down the stone stairs that fed into the village, I ran. Tears filled my vision, not that I minded, a cliff would have been as good as a house.

After a while, I tripped and fell down a hill. Judging from the painful rocks and bushes, it was probably somewhere in the forest that covered most of the island. I couldn't hold it in anymore. When a large rock stopped my rolling, I curled against it and let it all out, sobs wracking my body.


	3. Chapter 2

"Human Speech"

"_Dragon Speech_"

'_A direct quote from the current character's thoughts_'

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Today had started like any other. The Queen had summoned us from sleep and sent us on another early morning raid. Flying out of the fire-mountain that was our nest, I reached the front of the raiding party. We were all tired, but I wiped the dazed look from my face and began organising the group into a flare.

The older, wiser and more battle-proven dragons flew to my left and right creating a V formation. The younger, less experienced dragons then formed another two formations that led off from the outer trails of mine. I glanced back and set a steady pace that matched our slowest flyers. The flight to squish-nest-with-flying-rocks passed uneventfully, and I considered it a good omen.

As we arrived, I prepared to do my job and gained altitude, leaving the rest of the dragons to descend upon the squish-nest. Once I was at a comfortable height, I picked a target, drew my powerful fire into my open mouth and dove. The passing air fed the flames and quickly increased the strength of the fireball I was about to unleash.

The stupid squishes began to shout warnings and cower in fear as my increased speed caused the air passing over my wings to create a screeching sound. I released the fireball and began to ascend, riding the heatwave it created as it decimated a rock thrower. I revelled in the fear that rose from the squish-nest.

I used my momentum to charge another fireball and swung round onto my next target before climbing to safety and recharging my fire. As I glided through the twilight, I noticed Little-Squish, he was the smallest squish I had ever seen, and he loved trying to bring me down. Everything was going so smoothly. I decided I had the time to give him a real show. I knew he'd never catch me, but he deserved some respect for his determination.

My fire had recharged, so I folded my wings and dived right past him, blasted another rock thrower and quickly climbed, spun like a leaf and rolled like an ocean wave as I dived on the final rock thrower. My fireball hit the target, and my pride caught up as I flew in front of the flames. I heard the swish of something flying, and my wings collapsed, pinned to my sides.

I unleashed curses that would make a Rock-flyer blush. My pride had made me stupid, and now I was going to pay the price. I released an anguished roar as I accelerated toward the ground, struggling against the stupid squish thing that held me. I watched as my fear sent disarray and confusion through the flare. I heard one of the older dragons sound the retreat as the forest canopy swallowed my helpless form.

The descent was painful, branches poked and prodded. I pulled my tailfins shut and closed my eyes. The ground was quick to strike, and I ploughed along, leaving a deep trail in the dirt. Shadow-flyers are tough, but the impact was harsh, and my world went dark.

When I awoke, I thrashed wildly. It was gone sunup, and the Queen's was screaming demands in my mind. I uttered apologises and struggled against my captor. It was some sort of vines tangled together with heavy things. I continued to struggle until my breathing became laboured.

When the Queen abandoned me, I let out a defiant roar of denial and rested my head against the ground. Her final message told me she had determined my fate to be death by starvation. A sorrowful croon escaped my jaw, and I growled at my own self-pity. But my resolve faded, and the river burst, my pitiful cries harsh against the silence. I slowly drifted into a restless slumber.

I don't know how long I had slept, but the side of my head was distinctly wet and warm… It felt like something was curled against me. What creature would be stupid enough to seek refuge within the scales of the terrifying Shadow-flyer? I nudged it away, my aching muscles forcing a small groan from my jaw.

It recoiled faster than a Whispering Wurm. Had it not realised what it was curled against? I fought off the pain and pried my eyes open.

"_Little-Squish?_" I exclaimed. The silly creature was Little-Squish. A small chuckle escaped my lips. I watched him clear his vision. The terrified gasp that followed was adorable. I watched him with glee. At least I was going to have some entertainment before I died.

Or he might just kill me? Well, I was going to die either way, so it didn't really matter. Wait, had he moved?

He was sat against the rocks, terror in his eyes, barely moving. Had I broken him? Maybe his tiny squish brain couldn't handle my awesomeness? I briefly forgot about my situation and tried to stand. Reality was quick to bring me back to the ground. I landed with a huff, the vines biting at my scales.

When I looked back to Little-Squish, he had moved, slightly. The terror in his eyes had been replaced with sorrow and pity. How dare he pity me! Me, a Shadow-flyer, the harbinger of doom!

"I did this." He said.

'_Wait, what?_' I froze, and my head rose off the ground. '_He brought me down?_'

I couldn't comprehend it. Somehow Little-Squish had finally caught me. A flash of light yanked me out of my stupor. Little-Squish was stood right next to me and had pulled out a squish-claw from somewhere within the furs he wore. I tried to move away, but the vines had tightened, entrapping me beneath his gaze. All I could do was close my eyes and bow my head to Little-Squish, submitting myself to his mercy.

What happened next, I couldn't really say. One moment, I was waiting for his tiny squish-claw to tear through my scales, the next? I was free! The squish-vines snapped, and I attacked, pinning him to the ground. I could feel him squirming beneath my claws, desperately trying to escape.

I wanted so much to kill him. But I couldn't, the dragon's code forbade it. He had defeated me, entrapped me with his squish-vines and then shown me mercy. If I killed him now, I would be cast out, even if he were just a squish, no nest would accept me.

But worst still, I was the last of the mighty Shadow-flyers, the uncatchable harbingers of doom. My respect and position had been destroyed by a mere squish, and now I owed him my never-ending servitude. Gah! What was a female supposed to do? I poured all my hatred into a roar.

"_I hate you!_" I screamed. He fainted, whether from lack of air or fear I knew not. Satisfied with the result, I turned and leapt into flight. I didn't want to be anywhere near Little-Squish when he woke up.

Unfortunately, while falling from the sky hadn't resulted in any serious injuries, my struggling had expended valuable energy. My body screamed in protest, and I fell for the second time today. I locked into a glide and crashed to the ground in a small cove. Just great. Not only did I need food, but now I was trapped where I probably wouldn't find any! Was I cursed to be killed by Little-Squish? Even when he obviously didn't desire to kill me?

With no immediate source of food, I dragged myself to a sheltered area and laid down. Now that I was alone and unable to move, thoughts began to flow through my mind. Starting with my future. I doubted the Queen expected me to return, nor would she likely accept me back into the nest. I'd be lucky if she didn't eat me as soon as I flew into the nest. My best chance was to stay here and await the fate that I had been given. If I were lucky, Little-Squish, the destroyer of my reputation, would accept me as his servant. The last Shadow-flyer, pet of Little-Squish, the smallest squish to have ever lived. Oh, it was deplorable. I'd rather have my head mounted on a stick.

While processing my thoughts my, I mindlessly moved my foreleg to try and remove the liquid from my head where Little-Squish had been crying. Dragons might not have tears, but I understood what they were. As I bought my foreleg towards my tongue, I paused, an odd scent caught my attention. I was sure it was a dragon scent, but I hadn't seen any dragons.

I looked around, trying to track the scent, but my confusion only grew. The only traces were on my foreleg and head. It didn't make any sense. The only thing that I knew had touched me was Little-Squish, and that was a ridiculous thought. Little-Squish wasn't a dragon, my own eyes had confirmed as much.

Then I recalled some crazy tales that I had heard from some of the more adventurous females in the nest. Stories of a male-dragon-squish. I'd assumed that they had eaten some overripe cod and gone a little loopy. Now it seemed to make more sense. My Little-Squish, playing hard to get.

I didn't know what to think. Little-Squish couldn't be a dominant male, he didn't have the confidence. And yet he had not merely rejected the other females, he'd outright ignored their submission, deemed them unworthy of his recognition. Such an insult to a dragon's rank and reputation was not taken lightly.

My face contorted with an angry growl as I briefly considered that he might have similarly insulted me. Had he deemed me not worth the effort required to kill me? No, he had freed me, and surely that had taken equal effort? He had ruined my reputation, and my submission had doomed me to be his lesser.

But then again, was my reputation destroyed? He hadn't recognised the submission of the other females, but he had recognised mine. Surely that showed that I was of greater respect than them? To be recognised by the dragon that had disregarded all others? Even if he was just a squish?

I didn't particularly like the situation, but it wasn't a disaster, and the irony of it was quite amusing. I was trapped by honour into a situation I did not want, but other females could only dream of. I wonder how many of them would give their tail fins to have even half the recognition Little-Squish had given me? I was tired, but my chest puffed out proudly as I pictured their envy.

The sound of my hunger quickly deflated my pride, and I broke from my thoughts to inspect my temporary prison. Steep stone cliffs rose around the edges, and a few trees dotted their jagged edges. Inside of these walls was a peaceful but empty area covered in grass with a single tree standing tall aside a small pond. I pushed myself onto my paws and advanced towards the water.

I could see a few fish, trapped like me. I cautiously dipped my head towards the water and waited. When a fish came close, I lunged. It barely escaped my jaw. In desperation, I jumped into the cold water and chased it to the other side, capturing it in my claws.

As I climbed out of the pond the fish began to wriggle back in, I quickly dipped my head and swallowed it. It wasn't much, but it would keep me alive for another day. I shivered as the cold seeped through my scales. I shook my body dry and walked to the remaining sunlight, collapsing in exhaustion as it warmed me. Maybe tomorrow I could escape?

I closed my eyes as the sunlight faded and drowsily listened to the evening-song. The birds sang joyfully of a day well lived, and the bigger insects hummed along. It was a simple song, but it was calm and reassuring. One of the many things that Queen had prevented us from enjoying.

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**The term 'squish' is stolen from another fanfic which I really liked; unfortunately, I can't remember the name. If you know what it's called, could you remind me?**

**This "borrowing" of ideas may be spotted occasionally in my stories. And I'm not trying to steal other people's hard work so I will try to give credit when I can remember. In fact, I hope if the authors those fanfictions read mine, they will see it as praise of their great skill because they wrote something so amazing it became part of my headcanon.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Nearly two months later, and chapter three is finally here. Actually, I only wrote half of it, and then I realised it was a chapter on its own.**

**I actually shocked by the number of favs and follows, and I just like to say thank you to all you awesome people. However, I would really like some constructive criticism. Half the reason this chapter took so long is that I am not confident in the quality of the content.**

**A shout-out to Fanreader26 who left a review. I am following his fic _A Fury's Journey_ and look forward to each new chapter.**

**Also, I've gone back and tidied the previous chapters a little and appended an A/N to the previous one.**

"Human Speech"

"_Dragon Speech_"

'_A direct quote from the current character's thoughts_'

* * *

Running blindly through the village was probably one of the stupidest things I had ever done. I don't know how I hadn't run straight into a house or off a cliff. When I'd tripped, I'd honestly considered that I might not live and had done nothing to stop my potential demise. When I had finally stopped rolling down the hill, I had instinctively curled against the rock that had stopped me and allowed myself to cry.

Unfortunately, fate would determine this was, in fact, a much stupider moment than risking running blindly off a cliff. I cried until I ran out of tears, my eyes dry and puffy and my throat sore while pain bounced around my body like lightning. I noticed that the rock was warm. I brushed it off, the sunlight had probably warmed it up. But then it had huffed, and I tried to open my eyes, but they were sore and still blocked by my recent tears. Finally, the rock moved, and a pained moan came from behind me.

It sounded like a dragon, and I moved away faster than I thought was possible. Once I was confident that the large slab behind me was actually a rock, I attempted to clear my vision. I heard the dragon croon question like and then something that sounded like laughter. Could dragons laugh?

When I finally saw the beast that I had cried against I gasped in sheer terror. My body froze in place as my brain sent conflicting messages. Should I run or stay still? Has it seen me? I checked. Nope, it was definitely watching me. I didn't know what to do, and my body just plain refused to move.

I could only watch as he raised itself to stand. I flinched as it fell, and my mind unfroze as I realised that it was still tangled in the bolas that I had launched. It was my fault. I had downed the mighty Night Fury.

"I did this." I barely heard myself speak. I saw it look at me, disbelief in its emerald eyes. I pulled out the dagger that I keep in my belt and carefully walked toward the beast. It seemed distracted, and I kept the blade ahead of me, fearful of a surprise attack.

I saw its eye flick toward my blade before it recoiled in fear, its body straining against the ropes. I thought that it would try to kill me, but instead, it lowered its head, accepting death.

It wasn't like the thought hadn't crossed my mind. I could kill it and present it to my father and become the greatest of Vikings. But I no longer desired his approval. How could I want the approval of somebody that used me to send fellow Vikings to their doom?

I couldn't comprehend what I was doing, I watched horrified as my body moved without my conscious control. I heard the snap of each rope as the blade of my dagger sawed through. I didn't want to kill this dragon, and yet my subconscious willingly risked my own life to free it. I was terrifyingly aware that it might kill me at any moment.

When it finally came, I let the dagger fall from my hands and fought to escape its claws. The air was squeezed from my lungs as my back hit the ground. I clawed the dirt as my muscles screamed for air and my eyes widened as I heard it draw in air, sure that I was about to be vaporised. My world darkened, and in my mind, I thought I heard the faintest of roars.

When I came to the Night Fury was nowhere to be seen. I was kind of glad I wasn't dead, being squished by a thousand-pound lizard hadn't been part of my plans for today. I sat up and looked around. The sun was setting, and my father would be wondering where I was. I tried to find my dagger, but it was impossible to see in the fading light. I decided to leave it and stood to walk home, it was at this moment that I realised that I did not know where I was.

I climbed to the top of the hill I had fallen down and picked the direction I believe the village was in. I won't go into the details, but I think we both know that I was hopelessly lost.

I had hoped that when I finally walked through the door of my home, I would see my father asleep in his chair or not at all. Fate, as always, had other plans. My father was sat in his chair, his massive form hunched over the fireplace while he prodded the burning charcoal with a large stick. I tried to close the door quietly and creep up the stairs. I was halfway up when I heard him utter my name, I would not be able to escape this conversation.

"Dad. Uh, um..." I said awkwardly as he stood and turned toward me. What should I say? "I have to talk with you, Dad."

He clapped his meaty hands together. "I need to speak with you too, son."

There was a short, challenging silence as we formulated our next sentences. We both spoke at the same time, our voices overlapped, and we both paused. I had started to say I didn't want to fight dragons, and he had said something about it being time for me to learn to fight them.

I knew he was about to force me into another of our deals, so I politely insisted that he speak first. I would just have to swallow whatever impossibility the deal contained and get on with my life.

"I've spoken with Gobber." He said. "You've got your wish, dragon training. You start in the morning."

Gobber was going to get an earful from me tomorrow. "Dad, I can't kill dragons."

"But you will kill dragons!" He insisted, gesturing with his arms as he picked up an axe.

"Let me rephrase that." I pleaded, hoping that he would understand what I was about to say. "I don't want to kill dragons!"

"Of course, you do!" He replied. "Every Viking wants to kill dragons!"

"Then maybe I'm not a Viking!" I countered, mentally flinching at the truth behind the words.

"It's time Hiccup." He said, pausing as he thrust the axe into my arms. "This is serious, son. When you carry this axe, you carry all of us with you."

He repositioned the axe in my hands before continuing, gesturing dramatically with his arms. "Which means you walk like us, you talk like us and think like us. No more of this."

"You just gestured to all of me," I stated factually.

"Deal?" He demanded, frustration evident on his face. I knew there was only one option.

"Deal." I quietly agreed.

"Good." He said calmly as he put on his helmet. Was he leaving? "Train hard. I'll be back, probably."

"And I'll be here…" I said as he opened the door. "Maybe."

I watched as he vanished into the night, the docks busy with movement in the cold air of the night. When I awoke the next morning, they were already gone, their sails distant specks on the horizon.

I started my day with breakfast before setting off to find Gobber, he had some explaining to do. Unfortunately, by the time I located him, he was already leading the other teens to the kill ring, our little chat would have to wait.

There was a definite group dynamic as the teens followed Gobber. Astrid was in the lead and dressed to kill with a thick tunic, round shoulder guards and studded armour skirt. The axe I had crafted for her some years ago, Valkyrie, was strapped to her back. Snotlout tripped along behind her with his terrible flirting attempts.

The twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, followed not far behind and like always, dressed identically; tunics, fur vests, pants, boots, even their hairstyle and helmets matched. They were a dynamic in themselves, pushing and shoving each other just because they could.

Fishlegs trailed behind, reading a small book and explaining the contents to nobody in particular. Some might call him fat, but he was just husky and probably the closest to in stature to how Vikings were expected to look, tall and bulky.

Knowing Gobber's preferred teaching methods, I hung back as we entered the arena. Regrettably, Gobber noticed my reluctance and decided to give me some sage advice as he dragged me toward the others.

"You need to stop worrying." He stated as he made me stand up. "Be confident, stand tall and stare down your opponents."

I wanted to question what he meant, but he had already put me next to Fishlegs and begun to introduce us all to dragon training. The best student would get to kill the Monstrous Nightmare in front of the entire village, and Snotlout automatically asked if I was disqualified by already having killed a Night Fury, laughter followed. Gobber simply took the opportunity to approach the giant metal doors that kept the dragons in their pens.

The group noticed that Gobber was introducing the dragons when Fishlegs began rattling off numbers, something to do with statistics and dragon classifications. I cautiously observed, sure that Gobber was about to release an angry dragon upon the unsuspecting teens. I might have started shaking my head, and I guess he noticed before he reached the final dragon because I nodded, and his hand caught the controls. I take full responsibility for encouraging his teaching methods.

"Wait, aren't you going to teach us first?!" Snotlout had noticed, the panic in his voice only adding to my enjoyment of the situation.

"I believe in learning on the job." Said Gobber, sharing a glance with me as I quoted him quietly. The Gronckle burst out the doors and buzzed past us. Gobber had unlocked the doors while everyone was looking at Snotlout.

I stood still as everyone panicked around me. The Gronckle was using the time to eat some of the rocks that were strewn around the arena.

Gobber decided a pop quiz might be helpful. "What's the first thing you're going to need?"

"A healer?" I muttered, my words just dripping with sarcasm.

"Plus five speed?" Fishlegs offered.

Astrid, ever the warrior, gave the correct answer. "A shield!"

"A shield, go!" Gobber reaffirmed. "If you must make a choice between a sword and a shield, take the shield."

The other teens scrambled to follow the advice while I stood still and watched the Gronckle. We had been staring at each other for the last few seconds. I could hear the twins arguing over a shield and spotted them at the edge of my view. I glanced back to the Gronckle and tilted my head in their direction questioningly, surely the Gronckle would want to kill us all?

I saw its eyes twitch and I swear it grinned slightly as it turned, an orange glow flickering from within its jaws. The fireball struck the shield, and the twins were out. I shook my head at their dazed, confused looks and turned to check on the other teens. Gobber seemed to be enjoying himself as they followed his every word, slapping weapon and shield together to disrupt the Gronckle's aim. Everything seemed to be going fine until Gobber tested their concentration.

"How many shots does a Gronckle have?" He queried. The teens' reactions were mixed. Snotlout stumbled, guessing the answer and Astrid ignored the question.

"No, six!" Fish legs corrected as he stopped with his shield raised, celebrating the usefulness of his dragon trivia.

"Correct! That's one for each of you." Gobber stated as a fireball took Fishlegs' shield. "Fishlegs out."

I slunk away from the fight and stood near the weapon rack. Gobber's math seemed off. I groaned quietly as Snotlout tried to flirt with Astrid. His arrogance nearly killed them as his attempts drew the attention of the Gronckle. His shield took the impact as Astrid rolled away.

She regained her footing and charged the Gronckle with a war cry. Wood splintered as the next fireball struck her shield and sent her to the floor. The other teens ran to help her, but another fireball stopped their advance. Astrid was trapped, and the Gronckle still had a shot left.

The Gronckle stood over her with a low, angry growl as it prepared its final shot. As the only person able to reach her, I broke from cover. I don't know how I reached them in time. My legs and lungs burned as I slammed into the Gronckle. Shards of shattered rock clattered around us as the fireball impacted on the arena wall.

* * *

**My friend and beta reader recently pointed out that he is skimming/skipping over the Hiccup PoV as it follows the film script a lot? Is this an issue for you guys? And what do you recommend doing to correct it?**


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